The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-20

out the weak aud sickly. and made the regiment
as an entirety trained body OF athletes. cap
able of any endurance within reason.
In the early stages of its military car Ger the
Eleventh developed a great knack for foraging,
and the Galloway march led General Smith,
commanding the post. to remark to Wallace,
You have a wonderful lot of boys; they run
wild through the day. but they roost together
at night" And whine the boys were developing
an instructive love for foragipg. the appetite at
headquarters kept pace with the gastronomic
growth of the rank and file, and mono winked
more mplacently over depredations upon the
surrounding fold than Wallace and McGinnis
this particular thing seemed to be failing with
all the officers of the regiment from the coloners
mess to that of the chaplain
Early in February, 1862 the regiment Joined
in the movement on Fort Henry disem bark ing
on the opposite side of the river, and leading in
the dash on Fort Heiman. 1t participated in
the triumphant capture of these posts. and. on
14th of the same month marched TO Fort Donel-
SOD. and took part in the charge which re-
suited IN regimenral loss of four killed and
twenty-nins wounded As the reeimens
they symp athzed with the Eleventh boys for GO
ing. as their cowardce supposed. to certain
death. 1t was here that profane Smith, of the
Eighth Missouri, turned upon a demoralized
lieutenant. aud exclaimed with oath: "If
I'd gone into that fight with full regiment,
and brought out but one man. have him in q
damned sight better order than you've got that
squad-march TO the rear" The idea of going
In with full regiment, and bringing out ono
man IN good order, was an inspiration which
could have emsnated alone from Smith, but it
served the purpose of enlivening the Eleventh.
After graphically describing the battle, Mr..
Thompson remarked: ''Candor compels me TO
say that never saw a rebel in ali tn at row I'M
Til the regiment emerged from the scrub oak.
half mile and more TO the front. and we found
the enemy skurrying over the cleared ground
for their breast-works" There was never more
welcome news than Dan Macauley got by caves
dropping while General Wallace and the rebel
officers with the flag of truce were comforting.
and Dams nose for news" was ever afterward
regarded as valuable adjunct TO the regiment.
The following month found the Eleventh at
Crump's landing. aud there is where the boys
gave Gen. "Paouke" Smith greeting for which
he blessed them to his dying a day. The Gen.
eral commanded the post at Paducah. and upon
the reception of flag OF truce. some of the lady
sympathizers in a family named voolfolk
hois ted the rebel colors from their housetop
An Eleventh Indiana detail took it upon itself
to lower them. Being driven back by officers OF
General Smiths staff. the regiment then volun-
teered for the purpose, and succeeded in glorious
style This incident occasioned the greatest
excitement and INSTRUMENTATION, for upon it be-
ing rumored that the secoLd brigade had been
ordered out to suppress the demonstration on the
part of the Eleventh the Eighth Missouri and
Chicago Battery, company "A" came to the aid Of
the Eleventh, and two companies seized the
threat to wash out headquarters, while the bat
terry trained it's guns to sweep the approaches.
1t was then that Wallace came to the aid of the
commanding general, and by quiet word dis
who had knocked an aide-de-camp down for his
impertinence. remained mad for week.
General Smith had it in his power to break the
regiment, but he refrained, and the next day
he issued fatherly, kindhearted admopiton,
which bespoke him patriot and a soldier. I'M
derstanding the boys better than they under
themselves The regiment saw the wisdom of
his words. 1t was for this that they gave him
that greeting at Crumps Landing, and if his
eyes were srffused with tears as he bowed his
acknowled gements, there were few in the regi-
ment not similarly affected.
After mentioning the part the regiment took
in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, the siege of
Corinth and the break for Memphis, Mr.. Thomp-
son spoke Of the transfer to Helena. Ark. whore
the regiment remained throughout the fall and
winter. making excursions. meanwhile to Clar-
enden. Ark joining in the expeditions up the
st. Francis and White rivers. and also TO the
Taliahatchie. and participating in the movement
via the Yazoo pass. While in camp at Helena
there was incessaut drilling but some sport was
mixed Herewith, and the odd hours were fire.
Quently spent in playing wicket" a cross be
tween the ordinary shiny and cricket, in which
the officers and men became quite expert For
heavy bowling and slow running, McCiinnis car
ried off the palm. The most striking incident
barring an occasional skirmish with the enemy
was the reception of the proclamation Of the
President giving the negro the right to bear
arms. and suggesting that, as the had be-
come one for the freedom of the slave, he should
be drafted and made to do military duty. Sew
eral of the white regiments did OF take kindly to
this proclamation at first. and there
q mass meeting inside the fort to pla-
cato them, with speeches by Cameron, of the
Thirty-fourth Indiana ana others. The most
sensible utterance was that of the old colonel of
the .Twenty-ninth Wisconsin, who reioced in
the proposition to send the negro forward to re-
ceive the fire OF the enemy, while the better
drilled white troops could be held in reserve to
sweep the field at an opportune time. This was
a timely suggestion. and resolutions sustaining
the President were adopted Not that those
resolutions would not have been agreed TO- any,
how, for the strength of discipline was such that
the natural discretion of the soldier would have
held him comparatively mute whether he liked
the order or not. 1t was while at Helena. camp
ing on the Hindman hillside. that the Eleventh
was called upon to queil the mutinous conduct
of an Illinois regiment, which had reached that
point by boat, and strongly objected to obeyine
orders from the patrol guards who were but six
months troops. The Eleventh double ouicked
down the hill. formed in battle line fronting the
mutineers and formed for action with an alert
ness that speedily brought the Suckers to terms.
In that little incident the boys forget their tur-
bulence at Paducah, which was in their callow
days. and showed that they had no sympathy
with disorder calculated to deteriorate the eff
ciencv of Northern troops.
In March, 1863 McGinnis was made a briga-
1ier general, and Macauiey rose to the command
Of the regiment. Major Elston having resigned
10 April. 1862, and Lieutenant colonel Robinson
IN September following These chang es in con-
rs much a hobby with Macauley as it had been
to Wallace and McGinnis. It a sort of prev
alent disease, for that matter, for the line off,
GERS had been thoroughly inocuated; but when
IL spread to the corDorals. ir seemed as if the
limit of human patience had been exhausted.
In April came the "On-to- Vicksburg move
nent" and it Was a mighty army which foated
down the Mississippi river, hunting new scenes
Of strife. and warning the rebels bv the force Of
is numbers, its equipments discipline and en-
-husiasm that there was still God in Isra al.
The regiment was In several severe engagements
n the maneuvers about Vicksburg. It's bloodiest
fight, however, was at Champions Hills. where
Il again distinguished itself by storming the
height and capturing two pieces of artillery.
This time Z paid dearly for the honor for al.
most within the brief moment it requires to
speak OF it, 167 in killed, wounded and missing
nearly 80 per cent of It's strength on that day
marked the stubbornness Of the enemys re-
sistance. 1t participated in the investment and
siege of Vicksburg. always to the front during
that eventful period, and forming a part of the
'orlorn hope which to lead the storming
party on the morning of July 4, had the white
lag not sooner been displayed. There were
sufficient incidents crowded within that brief
period to fill volumes, and there were individual
cts of daring which CHALLENGED tha Admiration